Dorrie Upton of Jaffrey, left, smiles at the line of people anxiously awaiting their chance to choose from an assortment of cupcakes Thursday at the Jaffrey Civic Center’s 8th Annual Night of 1,000 Cupcakes.

JAFFREY — Dorrie Upton of Jaffrey said Thursday she has never missed Night of 1,000 Cupcakes at the Jaffrey Civic Center and anxiously awaits its return each summer.

“It’s a little bit of Americana where everyone comes and has fun and nothing is expected of them,” said Upton as she sorted cupcakes at the start of the 8th annual event Thursday evening.

From cupcakes dressed up as high-heeled shoes to a bowl of spaghetti to flowers, the event brought in 4,381 total — about 1,500 less than in 2012 — said Dion Owens, executive director of the Civic Center, Thursday.

Temperatures were in the 90s and frosting was melting Thursday, but hundreds of people from throughout the Monadnock region and beyond still came out to support what has become a beloved community tradition.

“I met a woman yesterday who told me that cupcakes is the reason she moved to Jaffrey,” Owens said with a smile. “The cupcakes bring us together.”

Alyssa Dandrea can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 228 or adandrea@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter at @alyssadandrea.